Despite being physically challenged, Muchai is one of those individuals who are bent on changing the general conceptions of the disabled in the world.
Kenya’s Samuel Muchai has just been awarded the Safaricom Soya’s sportsman of the year award 2017.
At the 14th edition of the Safaricom Soya awards which held at the Kenyatta international conventional centre, Nairobi on Wednesday night, 17th of January, the outstanding sportsman, although physically challenged by his loss of sight emerged the sports personality of the year 2017.
Muchai would be winning this award for the second time and is the second para-olympian to win the Soya sports personality of the year, after long distance runner Henry Wanyoike bagged the award at the previous ceremony in 2004.
Muchai won the award after beating out strong competition like World Champions Conseslus Kipruto, Hellen Obiri and Deaflympian Beryl Wamira.
For his acceptance speech, Muchai stated “I am delighted to be awarded as a winner overall of SOYA awards 2017. Since SOYA awards began 14 years ago, we have never seen any person with disability take this award but today, I am very happy”
He went further to persuade the entire gentry to view disabled persons in the society as positive additions to the community and not continue to view them as nuisances. He further encouraged other aspiring paraolympians to shed off the perception that success is a cumbersome affair.
Well Done Samuel Muchai!